You're Worth It
by Remy Le Fay
Summary: HBP SPOILER ALERT He loves her, so he must protect her by turning her away. But somethings are worth the risk. Oneshot LupinTonks fic.
1. Chapter 1

1Chapter 1

Remus was sitting up in bed, massaging his temples. He hadn't closed his eyes all night, despite his exhaustion, for every time his eyes closed, her face floated in front of his eyes, and she was the last thing he wanted to think about now. But his sleepless night was all in vain, for even with his eyes open, the scene from the hospital wing replayed itself over and over again in his head.

_"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"_

_"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf The cases are completely–,"_

_"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times..."_

_"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, for he was afraid his true feelings would spill out if he saw her pleading eyes again, "that I am too old for you, too poor... too dangerous... You deserve somebody young and whole."_

_"But she wants you," said Mrs. Weasley with a small smile._

Her words played over and over in his head. _"She wants you..."_ His insides were filled wit ha strange feeling, like he had just gulped a large flask of butterbeer, warm and full. But then the scene changed into his mind, and he saw himself transform, and leap at Tonks, unable to control himself. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut. A cold feeling of dread replaced the warm feeling he had seconds before. A new resolve strengthened his momentary weakness, and he ignored the pain beneath his layers of determination. He could never let that happen to Tonks.


	2. Chapter 2

1Chapter 2

Lupin went down to breakfast early so he wouldn't have to see Tonks and feel his heart break all over again. Unfortunately, she had the same idea.

"Remus! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" he retorted. She laughed, and the sound brought warmth back to Lupin's heart.

"Well, probably the same thing you are," she giggled.

Their momentary light mood was not to last. By the time their breakfast was finished cooking, they had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence that lasted throughout the meal. Remus barely noticed, as concentrated on every feature of Tonks as he was. Her bouncy mouse-colored hair, her deep grey eyes cast demurely down so he could not look into them fully, her soft skin, close enough to touch.

Before he knew it, they were done breakfast. As he got up to walk away, she suddenly grabbed his hand to stop him and stood in front of him. He saw her eyes were glittering with unshed tears.

"Why don't you love me?" she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. If only she knew the truth.

"It's not that I don't love you–."

"It's that you want to keep me safe. You are too old for me, too dangerous, too poor. I've heard it all before, and I've told every time that it doesn't matter to me! I can see through it now! You just don't want to hurt my feelings by turning me down! Well, you have. I get it now. Goodbye." Now it was Lupin's turn to grab her hand as she turned away.

"I love you more than you will ever know, Nymphadora Tonks!" he shouted, frustrated. "I stay up all night, every night, thinking of nothing but you. And every morning, I am determined to find you, and tell you how I feel, until a vision of your dead and mangled body flashes through my eyes, and I remember that I must turn you away _because_ I love you, not because I don't! There is nothing more in the world that I would like better than to just kiss you right now, and never let go of you again, but I can't," and his voice fell, "because I love you."

Remus looked at his feet, already embarrassed by his confession, when arms snaked around his neck, and soft lips met his. He kissed her softly, but deeply, for what felt like an eternity, until he realized what he was doing and pulled away.

"Dora, I can't..." Tonks put her finger to his lips.

"What if I told you you're worth it?" she whispered.

He saw the truth in her eyes and felt the truth in his heart, and knew she was right. Love is worth it. Then he bent down and kissed her again.


End file.
